Drawbridge and locking device therefor



Patented Jan. 1,1899.

W. L. SAMPSON.

DRAWBRIDGE AND LOCKING DEVICE THEREFOR.

(Application filed Feb. 15, 1898.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM L. SAMPSON, OF OCEAN GROVE, NEIV JERSEY,'

DRAWBRIDGE AND LOCKIN G DEVICE THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,606, dated January10, 1899. Application filed February 15, 1898. Serial No. 670,417. (Nomodel.)

To a whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that 1, WILLIAM L. SAMPSON, of Ocean Grove, in the county ofMonmouth and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and ImprovedDrawbridge and Bridge- Locking Device, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to drawbridges such as shown and described in theLetters Patent of the United States No. 598,012, granted to me onJanuary 25, 1898.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved drawbridgeand bridgelocking device which is simple and durable in construction andwith the Working parts arranged above the water-level, the lockingdevice serving to lock the bridge-spans when in a closed positionagainst lateral as well as against longitudinal movement to holdtherailroad-rails extending over the bridge in proper alinement with therails on land to insure safety to a train passing over the bridge. Theinvention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of thesame, as will be described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification,

in which similar characters of reference indi-,

cate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the drawbridge provided with myimprovement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sect-ion of the adjacent ends of thespanslocked together, the section being taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the sameon the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of part of the same on the line 4 4 ofFig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view of part of the same on the line 5 5 ofFig. 2. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of a modified form of thespan-locking device. Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section of thebase of the span locked to the abutment, and Fig. 8 is a side elevationof a modified form of the span-lockingdevice.

The drawbridge illustrated in Fig. 1 is provided with twocantaliver-spansAA, mounted to travel toward and from each other 011suitable foundations B B, extending above the water-level, so that thespans are completely above the water, and thus overcome an objectionablefeature of my former invention above referred to. The means employed formoving the spans toward and from each other are substantially the sameas the ones described in my former patent, with the exception that thegearing chains or cables extend through pipes or a tunnel in the bed ofthe waterway, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 1. Thebridge is also provided with aprons C 0, connected by hinges with theabutments and adapted to travel up inclines A A respectively, on thespans A A in the manner more fully set forth in the patent mentioned.

In order to lock the spans securely in place when the bridge is closedto prevent all lateral and sidewise motion, I provide the fol-' lowingdevice: The spans A A are provided with outside-and middle trusses E E,respectively, of which the heel E of the truss E projects beyond theouter or free end of the span A upon the floor F of the other span A,and the heel E of the truss E similarly extends upon the floor of thespan A when the two spans are in a closed position, as indicated inFigs. 1 and 2. 'A U-shaped lock ing-bolt G passes with its side armsdownward through apertures in the heels E and E and the floors F and F,so as to securely lock each heel to the floor of theopposite span. Bythisarrangement the free ends of the two spans are securely fastenedtogether against longitudinal and transverse movement, especially as theheels are halved in the trusstimber to break joints, as plainly shown inFigs. 3 and 4..

Each locking-bolt G is connected at its middle portion with anupwardly-extending rod H, attached to a polygonal bolt I, adapted todrop into registering recesses formed in the upper end of thetruss-timbers, and said bolts I are connected with each other by atransversely-extending connecting-beam J, hung on a chain or cable J,extending upwardly and passing over a pulley J journaled at the middletruss of one of the spans, to then extend to the shore to be under thecontrol of the engineer or other person in charge of the bridge, so thatwhen the engineer exerts a pull on the rope either by hand or suitablemachinery then the beam J is lifted, and with it the locking-bolts I andG, to unlock the spans A A preparatory to opening the bridge.

\Vhen the spans are in a closed position, the operator upon releasingthe rope J permits the bolts G and I to drop to their places to lock thefree ends of the spans against longitudinal and lateral movement.

The inner ends of the spans A A are also adapted to be locked in placewhen the bridge is closed, and for this purpose I provide thearrangement illustrated in Fig. 7, in which each span is provided at itsbase at the side trusses with bearings K for vertically-disposed bars Lto slide in, each of the bars being provided with a plurality ofverticallydisposed pintles L, adapted to engage eyes N, secured in theside walls of the abutments 0, between which the inner ends of the spansare adapted to move when the bridge is opened. The two bars L 011 eachend of a span are connected by suitable levers P with an operating-leverP under the control of the engineer by means of a rope or chain P toimpart a swinging motion to the levers for moving the bars L, with theirpintles L, in or out of engagement with the eyes N, thus lockin g orunlocking the corresponding span, ac cording to the position of thepintles relatively to the eyes N.

The locking device shown in Fig. 8 consists principally of a brace orred Q, pivoted at Q, to the abutment B or B and hooking onto a staple Qor the like, attached to the corresponding span A or A. A rope or chainconnects with the free end of the brace and extends upward to theengineers or bridgetenders office to permit the engineer to lower andengage the brace or rod with the staple, or swing it upward out ofengagement with the staple when it is desired to unlock the spans. Thebraces hold the span against longitudinal as well as against upwardmovement.

In my patent above referred to the spans were mounted to travel ontracks submerged in the water; but in the present form (illustrated inFig. 1) the tracks are above the water and supported on the foundationsB B. It is understood that by the use of the cantaliver-spans A A, asshown, suificient space is left between the adjacent ends of thefoundations for the vessels to pass through the open bridge.

Having thus fully described my invention,

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A drawbridgecomprising oppositely-an ranged foundations carrying tracks above thewater level, cantaliverspans mounted to travel on the said tracks tomove toward or from each other, to close and open the bridge, an inclineon each span, and aprons adapted to travel up the said inclines onmoving the spans into an open position, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. A bridge-lockin g device comprising truss heels extending upon thefloor of the opposite spans, and a locking-bolt engaging said heels andthe floors of the two spans, substantially as shown and described.

A bridge-locking device consisting of the heels of trusses for adjacentspans, said heels fitting one upon the other and each extending upon thefloor of the opposite span, substantially as shown and described.

4. A bridge-locking device com prising trussheels extending upon thefloor of the opposite spans, a locking-bolt engaging said heels and thefloors of the two spans, and a second set of bolts connected with thefirst-named bolts and adapted to engage registering recesses in thetimber of adjacent trusses, substantially as shown and described.

5. A bridge-locking device com prising trussheels extending upon thefloor of the opposite spans, a locking-bolt engaging said heels and thefloors ot' the two spans, a second set of bolts connected with thefirst-named bolts and adapted to engage registering recesses in thetimber of adjacent trusses, and means, substantially as described, foroperating said bolts to move the same in and out of position, as setforth.

6. A bridge-locking device provided with movable bars on the base ofeach span, each bar being provided with pintles, fixed eyes on the sidewalls of the abutments, and adapted to be engaged by said pintles, andmeans, substantially as described, for moving said bars simultaneouslyto move the pintles in and out of engagement with the eyes, as setforth. I

\VILLIAM L. SAMPSON. lVitnesscs:

THEO. G. I'IOSTER, EVERARD BOLTON )IARSIIALL.

